EMT3610/6610HS Religious Thought and Spirituality in Islam

General Information

Instructor: Nevin Reda El-Tahry

E-mail: nevin.el.tahry@utoronto.ca

Office Hours: R 11:00 am –12:00 noon

Office: 215

Class time: R 9:00 am – 11:00 am

Classroom: 108

Course Description

This is a historical and topical survey of the origins and development of Islamic religious

practices and mysticism. The course is primarily concerned with the growth of mystical

tradition in Islam, the rise of asceticism, the early forms of personal piety that culminated

into emphasis over mystical dimensions of Islamic religious experience and practice. The

course will examine the rise of Sufi orders, the systematization of Sufi teaching and the

evolution of theosophical dimensions of mysticism, and finally, the contribution of

Sufism in the Islamic arts and literatures. Lectures, readings and class discussions.

Annotated bibliography: 25%, oral presentation: 15%, project (research paper): 45%,

class participation: 15%.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students are expected to:

Religious Faith and Heritage

• Demonstrate knowledge of religious heritage, and articulate clearly their own

theological positions (as related to pastoral practices).

• Interpret scripture and religious texts using a variety of methods, sources, and norms.

• Identify and respect the diversity of theological viewpoints and practices within their

religious tradition.

Culture and Context

• Give evidence of critical self-awareness with regard to their own and other faith

perspectives and practices of educational ministry.

Spiritual/Vocational Formation

• Display capacity for self-reflexive and spiritual practices within communities of faith.

Ability with Scholarly Tools and Skills

Demonstrate competence in the use of a library and in the construction of an

annotated bibliography

Demonstrate familiarity with pertinent web-based resources and skills.

Demonstrate competence in the following skills:

Clear and effective communication in both oral and written forms;

The construction of a logical argument;

The making of informed judgments on complex issues;

The use of standard conventions of style for scholarly writing.

Give evidence of an understanding of the nature and processes of research.

Course Materials

Textbooks:

1. Carl W. Ernst, Sufism: An Introduction to the Mystical Tradition of Islam (Boston:

Shambhala, 2011).

2. Anne-Marie Schimmel, The Mystical Dimensions of Islam (Chapel Hill: University of

North Carolina Press, 2011).

3. Michael Sells, Early Islamic Mysticism: Sufi, Qur’an, Miraj, Poetic and Theological

Writings (Paulist Press 2002).

Additional Bibliography:

1. Ahmed, Sameera and Mona M. Amer (eds.). Counseling Muslims: Handbook of Mental

Health Issues and Interventions. New York: Taylor and Francis Group, 2012.

2. Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali. The Spirituality of Shiʿi Islam: Beliefs and Practices.

London : I.B. Tauris, 2011.

3. Avery, Kenneth S. A Psychology of Early Sufi Samā ʿ: Listening and Altered States.

London ; New York, NY : RoutledgeCurzon, 2004.

4. Awn, Peter J. Satan's tragedy and redemption: Iblīs in Sufi psychology, with a foreword

by Annemarie Schimmel. Leiden : E.J. Brill, 1983.

5. Ayoub, Mahmoud. Redemptive Suffering in Islam: A Study of the Devotional Aspects of

'Ashura' in Twelver Shi'ism. The Hague: Mouton, 1978.

6. Bentounés, Sheikh Khaled. Sufism: The Heart of Islam. Foreword by Christian Delorme;

translation by Khaled El Abdi of interviews conducted by Bruno and Romano Solt.

Soufisme, cœur de l'Islam. Prescott, Ariz: Hohm Press, 2002.

7. Berzin, Alexander. ―Historical Survey of the Buddhist and Muslim Worlds‘ Knowledge

of Each Other‘s Custom‘s and Teachings,‖ The Muslim World 100, no. 2 - 3 (2010), pp.

187-203.

8. Calder, Norman, Jawid Mojaddedi and Andrew Rippin, Classical Islam: A Sourcebook

London: Routledge, 2003.

9. Canel-Çınarbaş, Deniz, Ayşe Çiftçi, and Gökçe Bulgan, ―Visiting Shrines: A Turkish

Religious Practice and Its Mental Health Implications,‖ International Journal for the

Advancement of Counselling 35, no.1 (2013), pp. 16 – 32.

10. Chittick, William C. Divine Love: Islamic Literature and the Path to God. Foreword by

Seyyed Hossein Nasr. New Haven : Yale University Press, 2013.

11. –––. Sufi Path of Knowledge. New York: State University of New York Press, 1989.

12. De Jong, Frederick and Bernd Radtke (eds.), Islamic Mysticism Contested: Thirteen

Centuries of Controversies and Polemics (Leiden: Brill, ―Islamic History and

Civilization. Studies and Texts, 29‖, 1999).

13. Djummaev, Alexander B. ―Musical Traditions and Ceremonies of Bukhara,‖

Anthropology of the Middle East 3, no. 1 (2008), pp. 52 – 66.

14. Ernst, Carl W. Sufism: An Introduction to the Mystical Tradition of Islam. Boston:

Shambhala, 2011.

15. ––– (transl.). Teachings of Sufism. Boston; London: Shambhala, 1999.

16. –––. Words of Ecstasy in Sufism. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1985.

17. Foltz, Richard C. Source, Buddhism in the Iranian World‖ The Muslim World 100, no. 2 -

3 (2010), pp. 204-214.

18. Frager, Robert. Heart, Self and Soul: The Sufi Psychology of Growth, Balance and

Harmony. Wheaton, Illinois: Quest Books, 1999.

19. Gade, Anna M. ―Taste, Talent and the Problem of Internalization: A Qurʾanic Study in

Religious Musicality from Southeast Asia,‖ History of Religions 41, no. 4, Essays on the

Occasion of Frank Reynolds's Retirement (May, 2002): 328-68.

20. Gilliat-Ray, Sophie, Mansur Ali and Stephen Pattison. Understanding Muslim

Chaplaincy. Surrey, U.K.: Ashgate Publishing Ltd., 2013.

21. Gulen, Fethullah. Emerald Hills of the Heart: Key Concepts in the Practice of Sufism

(Tughra Books, 2007.

22. Hallaq, Wael, ―On the Origins of the Controversy about the Existence of Mujtahids and

the Gate of Ijtihad,‖ Studia Islamica 63, no. 1 (1986), pp. 129-141.

23. –––. ―Was the Gate of Ijtihad Closed?‖ International Journal of Middle East Studies 16,

no. 3 (1984), pp. 3-41.

24. Halman, Talât S. (ed.). Yunus Emre and His Mystical Poetry. Bloomington, Ind: Indiana

University Press, c1981.

25. Haque, Amber. ―Psychology from Islamic Perspective: Contributions of Early Muslim

Scholars and Challenges to Contemporary Muslim Psychologist,‖ Journal of Religion

and Health 43, 4 (2004), pp. 357-377.

26. Harris L. Friedman and Glenn Hartelius, The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of

Transpersonal Psychology (Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley Blackwell, 2013).

27. Helminski, Camille. Women of Sufism: A Hidden Treasure: Writings and Stories of

Mystic Poets, Scholars and Saints, selected and introduced by Camille Helminski.

Shambhala, 2003.

28. Ibn ‗Arabi, Muḥī al-Dīn. ―The Wisdom of Singularity in the Word of Muhammad‖ The

Bezels of Wisdom (The Wisdom of the Prophets), transl. R. W. J. Austin (New York:

Paulist Press, c1980).

29. Isgandarova, Nazila. ―Music in Islamic Spiritual Care: A Review of Classical Sources,‖

Religious Studies and Theology 34, no. 1 (2015), pp. 101-113.

30. Jackson, Sherman A. Islam and the Problem of Black Suffering. Oxford University

Press, New York, 2009.

31. Jaz lī, Muh ammad ibn Sulaym n. Dalā’il al-Khayrāt (Waymarks of Blessings)

http://bewley.virtualave.net/dalail1.html

32. Karakas, Fahri. ―A Holistic View of Spirituality and Values: The Case of Global Gulen Networks,‖ Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion 5, no. 1 (2008), pp. 56-83.

33. Karamustafa, Ahmet. God’s Unruly Friends: Dervish Groups of the Islamic Middle

Period 1200-1550 (Oxford: Oneworld, 2006).

34. Khalil, Atif. ―Ab Ṭ lib al-Makkī and the Nourishment of the Hearts (Q t al-Qul b) in

the Context of Early Sufism,‖ The Muslim World 102, no. 2 (2012), pp. 335-356.

35. –––. ―Contentment, Satisfaction and Good-Pleasure: Rida in Early Sufi Moral

Psychology,‖ Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses 43, no. 3 (2014), pp. 371-389.

36. Knysh, Alexander. ―Contextualizing the Sufi-Salafi Conflict (from the Northern

Caucasus to Hadramawt),‖ Middle Eastern Studies, vol. 43, no. 4 (2007), pp. 503-530.

37. –––. Islamic Mysticism: A Short History (Leiden: Brill, 2000).

38. Kobeisy, Ahmed Nezar. Counseling American Muslims: Understanding the Faith and

Helping the People. Westport, Conn.: Praeger Publishers, 2004.

39. Krämer, Gudrun and Sabine Schmidtke (eds.), Speaking for Islam: Religious Authorities

in Muslim Societies (Leidenand Boston: E. J.Brill, 2006).

40. Lewiston, Leonard. ―The sacred music of Islam: Sam ‗ in the Persian Sufi tradition,‖

British Journal of Ethnomusicology 6, no. 1 (1997), pp. 1-33.

41. Mawdudi, Abul A‗la. The Spiritual Path of Islam,

http://www.islam101.com/sociology/spiritualPath.htm

42. Mayer, Toby. ―Yogic-Ṣ fī Homologies: The Case of the ‗Six Principles‘ Yoga of N ropa

and the Kubrawiyya,‖ The Muslim World 100, no. 2 - 3 (2010), pp. 268-286.

43. Michon, Jean-Louis and Robert Gaetani (eds), Sufism: Love and Wisdom (Bloomington,

Indiana: World Wisdom, 2006).

44. Muhaiyaddeen, M.R. Bawa. God's Psychology: A Sufi Explanation. Philadelphia, PA:

Fellowship Press, c2007.

45. –––. Islam & World Peace : Explanations of a Sufi. Foreward by Annemarie Schimmel.

Philadelphia, PA : Fellowship Press, 1987.

46. Murata, Sachiko. The Tao of Islam: A Sourcebook on Gender Relationships in Islamic

Thought. Foreword by Annemarie Schimmel. Albany, NY : State University of New

York Press, 1992.

47. Nahar, Azizun. Islam, The Nature of Self, Suffering, and Salvation: with Special

Reference to Buddhism and Islam. Vohra Publishers & Distributors, Allahabad, India,

1987.

48. Nahar, Azizun. Islam, The Nature of self, Suffering, and Salvation: with Special

Reference to Buddhism and Islam. Vohra Publishers & Distributors, Allahabad, India,

1987.

49. Nasr, Seyyed Hossein (ed.), Islamic Spirituality: Foundations. New York: Crossroads,

1987.

50. –––. Islamic Spirituality: Manifestations. New York: Crossroad, 1991.

51. Nelson, Kristina. The Art of Reciting the Qurʾan. Austin: University of Texas Press,

1985.

52. Nettler, Ronald L. Sufi metaphysics and Qur'ānic prophets: Ibn ʻArabī's thought and

method in the Fuṣūṣ al-ḥikam (Cambridge : Islamic Texts Society, 2003).

53. Nizamie, S., M. Kathsu, and N. Uvais, ―Sufism and Mental Health," Indian Journal of

Psychiatry 55 (6) (2013), pp. 215-223.

54. N rbakhsh, Jav d. The Psychology of Sufism: A Discussion of the Stages of Progress and

Development of the Sufi's Psyche while on the Sufi Path. New York : Khaniqahi-

Nimatullahi Publications, 1992.

55. Obuse, Kieko. ―The Muslim Doctrine of Prophethood in the Context of Buddhist-Muslim

Relations in Japan: Is the Buddha a Prophet?‖ The Muslim World 100, no. 2 - 3 (2010),

pp. 215-232.

56. Ormsby, Erik L. Theodicy in Islamic Thought: The Dispute over al-Ghazali’s ‘Best of All

Possible Worlds’. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1984.

57. Perreira, Todd LeRoy. ―‘Die before you Die‘: Death Meditation as Spiritual Technology

of the Self in Islam and Buddhism,‖ The Muslim World 100, no. 2 - 3 (2010), pp. 247-

267.

58. Pessagno, J. Meric. ―The Uses of Evil in Maturidian Thought,‖ Studia Islamica 60

(1984), pp. 59-82.

59. Picken, Gavin. Spiritual Purification in Islam: The Life and Works of al-Muhasibi

(London: Routledge, 2011.

60. Promta, Somparn. ―The View of Buddhism on other Religions with Special Reference to

Islam,‖ The Muslim World 100, no. 2 - 3 (2010), pp. 302-320.

61. Quadir, Tarik M. Traditional Islamic Environmentalism: The Vision of Seyyed Hossein

Nasr. Lanham, Md.: University Press of America, 2013.

62. Qushayri, Abu'l-Qasim al -. Sufi book of spiritual ascent (al-Risala al-Qushayriya),

translated by Rabia Harris; edited by Laleh Bakhtiar. Chicago, IL: ABC Group

International; Distributed by KAZI Publications, 1997.

63. Rasmussen, Anne K. ―The Qur'an in Indonesian Daily Life: The Public Project of Musical Oratory.‖ Ethnomusicology 45, no. 1 (Winter, 2001): 30-57.

64. –––. Women, the Recited Qur'an, and Islamic Music in Indonesia. Berkeley: University

of California Press, c2010.

65. Rassool, G. Hussein. Islamic Counselling: An Introduction to Theory and Practice.

[London]: Routledge, 2016.

66. Raudvere, Catharina and Leif Stenberg (eds). Sufism Today: Heritage and Tradition in

the Global Community. London: I.B. Tauris, 2009.

67. Razi, Abu Bakr, Muhammad ibn Zakariyya al-. The Spiritual Physick of Rhazes,

translated by A. J. Arberry in the Wisdom of the East Series (London: John Murray,

1950), pp. 59-60.

68. Reis-Habito, Maria Dorothea. ―The Notion of Buddha-Nature: An Approach to Buddhist-

Muslim Dialogue,‖ The Muslim World 100, no. 2 - 3 (2010), pp. 233-246.

69. Ruffle, Karen. ―May Fatimah Gather Our Tears: The Mystical and Intercessory Powers

of Fatimah al-Zahra in Indo-Persian, Shi'i Devotional Literature and Performance,‖

Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East 30, no. 3 (2010), pp. 386

- 397

70. Schielke, Samuli. The Perils of Joy: Contesting Mulid Festivals in Contemporary Egypt.

Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press, 2012.

71. Shabrawi, Shaykh Abd al-Khaliq al-. The Degrees of the Soul, transl. Mostafa al-Badawi

(London: The Quilliam Press, 1997).

72. Shah-Kazemi, Reza. ―Civilizational Dialogue and Islam: The Holy Qur‘an and the

Metaphysics of the Unity of Being,‖ Religions 1 (2009), pp. 117-139.

73. –––. Common Ground between Islam and Buddhism, with an essay by Shaykh Hamza

Yusuf; introduced by H. H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, H. R. H. Prince Ghazi bin

Muhammad, Mohammad Hashim Kamali. Louisville, KY: Fons Vitae, 2010.

74. –––. The Spirit of Tolerance in Islam. London: I.B. Tauris in association with the

Institute of Ismaili Studies, 2012.

75. Shaikh, Sa'diyya. Sufi Narratives of Intimacy: Ibn 'Arabī, Gender, and Sexuality. Chapel

Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press, c2012.

76. Shihadeh, Ayman (ed.). Sufism and Theology. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press,

2007.

77. Sulami, Abu ‗Abd al-Rahman al-. The Way of Sufi Chivalry, transl. Toscun Bayrak al-

Jerrahi. Inner Traditions, 1991.

78. Sultanova, Razia. From Shamanism to Sufism: Women, Islam and Culture in Central

Asia. London ; New York : I B. Tauris, 2011.

79. –––. ―Music and Identity in Central Asia: Introduction,‖ Ethnomusicology Forum 14, no.

2 (2005), pp. 131 – 142

80. Thierry Zarcone and Angela Hobart. Shamanaism and Islam: Sufism, Healing Rituals

and Spirits in the Muslim World. London : I.B. Tauris, 2013.

81. Thomas O‘Connor, Kristine Lund and Patricia Berendsen, Psychotherapy: Cure of the

Soul (Waterloo: Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, 2013).

82. Tirmidhi and Abu 'Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami al-Naysaburi, Three Early Sufi Texts,

translated by Nicholas Heer and Kenneth L. Honerkamp (Louisville, Ky.: Fons Vitae,

2003

83. Trimingham, J. Spencer. The Sufi Orders in Islam (Oxford: Oxford University Press,

1973).

84. Useem, Andrea. "In Islam, a Vocal Exercise of Faith." The Chronicle of Higher

Education 47, no. 13 (Nov 24, 2000): 1.

85. Waugh, Earle H. Memories, Music, and Teligion: Morocco’s Mystical Chanters.

Columbia, S.C. : University of South Carolina Press, 2005.

86. –––. Visionaries of Silence: The Reformist Sufi Order of the Demirdashiya al-Khalwatiya

in Cairo. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2008.

87. Yazaki, Saeko. Islamic Mysticism and Abū Ṭālib al-Makkī: The Role of the Heart. New

York: Routledge, 2013.

88. Yusuf, Imtiaz. ―Dialogue between Islam and Buddhism through the Concepts of

Ummatan Wasatan (The Middle Nation) and Majjhima-Patipada (The Middle Way),‖

Islamic Studies 48, no. 3 (2009), pp. 367 - 394

89. –––. ―Islam and Buddhism Relations from Balkh to Bangkok and Tokyo,‖ The Muslim

World 100, no. 2 - 3 (2010), pp. 177-186.

Evaluation and Assignments

Each student should know from the outset that this course requires daily reading, both written

and oral assignments, and regular class participation. More than two unexcused absences will

negatively affect the student’s grade. Any student with more than four unexcused absences will

receive an automatic failing grade, without possibility of supplemental examination.

Component Weight Due Date

Class Participation 15 % N/A

Oral Presentation 15% TBA

Annotated Bibliography 25 % Feb. 16 @ 9:00 am

Research Paper 45 % March 30 @ 9:00 am

All essays and assignments must be handed in on time. Penalty for late assignments is 2%

reduction in mark per day of lateness. Assignments will not be accepted after one week of the

due date. Academic accommodation will only be considered when appropriate documentation

(an official U of T medical certificate) is provided within ONE week of the due date. At all time,

students are expected to do their own work. Plagiarism--to represent as one‘s own any idea or

expression of an idea or work of another in any academic examination or term test or in

connection with any other form of academic work—is a serious academic offense and will not be

tolerated. Students who plagiarize run the risk of suspension and other sanctions. For the

definition of ―academic work,‖ tribunal procedures, and more,

seehttp://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/policies/behaveac.htm. See also

http://www.socialwork.utoronto.ca/students/policy/plagiarism.htm.

For advice on academic writing, go to http://www.writing.utoronto.ca . If you wish to book an

appointment with a writing instructor for individual help, go to

http://www.vic.utoronto.ca/students/tutorialservices/Writing_Centre.htm. Make sure you book

your appointment as early as possible. Advanced degree students in a conjoint degree program

are encouraged to use http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/currentstudents/Pages/English-Language-and-

Writing-Support.aspx.

a. Attendance and Class Participation (15%)

Attendance is mandatory. More than two unexcused absences will negatively affect a

student‘s grade. More than four absences without proper documentation (an official U of T

medical certificate provided within one week of the absence) will receive an automatic FZ.

Students are expected to attend class and to come prepared. You should expect to devote 2-3

hours outside of class for every hour of classroom instruction. Use this time to prepare the

required readings and primary texts in advance. Readings are listed in order of priority in the

schedule. Always be ready to provide a brief summary of each reading, list the main points

and explain how the readings relate to one another.

b. Topic Presentation (15%)

This assignment is an oral presentation on a topic that will be assigned on the first day of

class. Topics will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, with doctoral students

having first choice. Students are expected to speak for 15 minutes and to respond to student‘s

questions and comments after the presentation. They should have a 1-2 page handout for the

class in point form. This presentation will count as 15% of their final grade. Presentation

dates will be determined on the first day of class.

c. Annotated Bibliography (25%)

This assignment consists of the title of your proposed research paper (see below), a brief one-

page proposal explaining the scope of your investigation and a preliminary thesis statement

and an annotated bibliography. Each bibliographic entry must be accompanied by a

paragraph summarizing the argument of the source and evaluating its usefulness for your

research paper project. Use Chicago Manual of Style with footnotes and bibliography for

your entries (http://writing.utoronto.ca/advice/using-sources/documentation).

d. Project (45%)

This research paper should be 15-18 pages in double-spaced 12 pt Times New Roman font.

Students registered in EMT 6610 should submit a 20-25 page paper. Footnotes and

bibliography should consistently follow either Turabian‘s Manual of Style or Chicago

Manual of Style, http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/717/1/ . Your paper should

include the following:

Title page. This includes the paper title, the student's name, the course code and name, the

name of the instructor and the date of submission.

Introduction. The most important part of the Introduction is the thesis statement, setting out

in the briefest possible form the exact proposition or hypothesis which the thesis will

demonstrate. The Introduction also provides the context necessary to show why the thesis

statement is important. To this end it identifies the research question and describes its

broader setting in academic research. It gives attention to previous enquiry and available

secondary literature (the status quaestionis). The Introduction should also include a

description of the project as a whole.

If you want, you can also include a section on method as part of the introduction, describing

the relevant primary literature and the methods to be used for interpreting it. It gives a

rationale for the method and indicates how it will be used to generate dependable conclusions

and verify the thesis statement.

Exposition. The main body of the thesis is the clarification, development, and demonstration

of the thesis statement, using authoritative evidence. The exposition is typically organized as

parts of an argument. The interrelationship of the parts of the exposition, and the direct

relevance of each part of the exposition to the thesis statement, should be clear to the reader.

Conclusion. The thesis statement should be recapitulated, the demonstration should be

summarized, the limitations of the demonstration and the remaining uncertainties should be

acknowledged, and the implications of the study for the faith community, the wider scholarly

community, and/or the world should be set forth.

Bibliography. Books, articles, and other sources that have been used must be listed. Primary

and secondary literature should always be distinguished.

Grading scale

Letter

Grade

Numerical

Equivalents

Grade

Point

Grasp of Subject

Matter

Other qualities expected of students

A RANGE: Excellent: Student shows original thinking, analytic and synthetic ability,

critical evaluations, broad knowledge base.

A+ 90-100 4.0 Profound and

Creative

Strong evidence of original thought, of

analytic and synthetic ability; sound and

penetrating critical evaluations which

identify assumptions of those they study

as well as their own; mastery of an

extensive knowledge base

A 85-89 4.0 Outstanding

A- 80-84 3.7 Excellent Clear evidence of original thinking, of

analytic and synthetic ability; sound

critical evaluations; broad knowledge

base

B RANGE: Good: Student shows critical capacity and analytic ability, understanding

of relevant issues, familiarity with the literature.

B+ 77-79 3.3 Very Good Good critical capacity and analytic

ability; reasonable understanding of

relevant issues; good familiarity with the

literature

B 73-76 3.0 Good

B- 70-72 2.7 Satisfactory at a

post-

baccalaureate

level.

Adequate critical capacity and analytic

ability; some understanding of relevant

issues; some familiarity with the

literature

FZ 0-69 0 Failure Failure to meet the above criteria

Accommodations

Students with diverse learning styles are welcome in this course. If you have a disability/health

consideration that may require accommodations, please feel free to approach me and /or the

Accessibility Office as soon as possible. It takes time to put disability related accommodations

in place. The sooner you meet with a Disability Counsellor at Accessibility Services, the quicker

s/he can assist you to achieving your learning goals in this course. The University of Toronto is

committed to facilitating the inclusion of students in all aspects of university life. For more go

to www.accessibility.utoronto.ca or contact accessibility.services@utoronto.ca.

Schedule of Readings (may be subject to change):

1 Jan. 5

What is Islamic Spirituality?

Required Readings:

1. Ernst, Introduction, Chapter 1, pp. 1-31.

2 Jan. 12

The Quran and Hadith

Required Readings:

1. Ernst, Introduction, Chapter 2, pp. 32-57.

2. Sells, ―The Quran‖ and ―Early Sufi Quran Interpretation,‖ pp. 29-56; 75-96.

3 Jan. 19

The Five Pillars of Islam

Required Readings:

1. Sayed Ali Ashraf, "The Inner Meaning of the Islamic Rites," Allahbakhsh Brohi, "The

Spiritual Dimension of Prayer,‖ in Nasr, Islamic Spirituality, pp. 111-143.

2. Abul A‗la Mawdudi, The Spiritual Path of Islam,

http://www.islam101.com/sociology/spiritualPath.htm

3. Muzaffer Ozak al-Jerrahi, ―The Mysteries of Ritual Prayer,‖ in Irshad, pp. 159-184.

4. Sells, ―The Mi‗raj‖ and ―The Beloved,‖ pp. 47-74. (optional)

4 Jan. 26

Historical Outlines of Classical Sufism

Required Readings:

1. Schimmel, Chapter 2, pp. 23-97.

2. Atif Khalil, ―Contentment, Satisfaction and Good-Pleasure: Rida in Early Sufi Moral

Psychology,‖ Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses 43, no. 3 (2014), pp. 371-389.

3. Sells, ―Qushayri,‖ pp. 97-150. (optional)

5 Feb. 2

Saints and Sainthood

Required Readings:

1. Ernst, Introduction, Chapter 3, pp. 58-80.

2. Sells, ―Bistami‖ and ―Junayd‖, pp. 212-265.

3. Yahya Michot, ―Ibn Taymiyya‘s Commentary on the Creed of al-H all j,‖ in A.

Shihadeh (ed.), Sufism and Theology (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2007),

pp. 123-136.

4. Deniz Canel-Çınarbaş, Ayşe Çiftçi, and Gökçe Bulgan, ―Visiting Shrines: A Turkish

Religious Practice and Its Mental Health Implications,‖ International Journal for the

Advancement of Counselling 35, no.1 (2013), pp. 16 – 32.

6 Feb. 9

The Path to the Beloved: Tariqa Leading to Mystical Experience

Required Readings:

1. Ernst, Introduction, Chapter 4, pp. 81-119.

2. Frager, ―The Psychology of Heart, Self and Soul‖ in Heart, Self and Soul, pp. 1-20.

3. Rassool, ―Understanding human nature and personality development in the Islamic context,‖ in Islamic Counselling, pp. 34-50.

4. Sells, ―Sarraj,‖ pp. 196-211. (optional)

Annotated bibliography due

7 Feb. 16

Sufi Orders

Required Readings:

1. Ernst, Introduction, Chapter 5, pp. 120-146.

2. Annabelle Böttcher, ―Religious Authority in Transnational Sufi Networks: Shaykh

N z im al-Qubrusī al-H aqq nī al-Naqshabandī,‖ in G. Krämer and S. Schmidtke (eds.),

Speaking for Islam.

3. Muhammad al-Jazuli, Dal ‘il al-Khayr t (Waymarks of Blessings)

http://bewley.virtualave.net/dalail1.html

4. Dhikr from the Qadiriyya order (optional)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmqhQjYTtkI

Reading Week

No Classes on Feb. 23

8 Mar. 2

Poetry

Required Readings:

1. Ernst, Introduction, Chapter 6, pp. 147-178.

2. Kenan Rifai. Listen: Commentary on the Spiritual Couplet of Mevlana Rumi. Transl.

Victoria Holbrook (Louisville, Kentucky: Fons Vitae, 2011), pp. 1-7.

3. Performances of the beginning couplets of Rumi‘s Masnavi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSW-AvMYBM0 (Humayun Khan)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnFYR8oHLy0 (Ayeda Husain Naqvi) (optional)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWbO2a4r_WA (Babak Radmanesh) (optional)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaqeHbM0oMo (Sadeq Fitrat Nashenas) (optional)

9 Mar. 9

Music and Dance

Required Readings:

1. Ernst, Introduction, Chapter 7, pp. 179-198.

2. Leonard Lewiston, ―The sacred music of Islam: Sam ‗ in the Persian Sufi tradition,‖

British Journal of Ethnomusicology 6, no. 1 (1997), pp. 1-33.

3. Nazila Isgandarova, ―Music in Islamic Spiritual Care: A Review of Classical Sources,‖

Religious Studies and Theology 34, no. 1 (2015), pp. 101-113.

4. Busiri, Qasida al-Burda

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xjihmp_mesut-kurtis-sami-yusuf-burdah-maula-ya-

sallay-wa-sallim-daimun-abada_music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNM41SwUnuQ

5. Whirling samaʿ (optional)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_Cf-ZxDfZA (Performance)

http://www.cemalnur.org/medyalar/detail/dinle/26 (Turkish)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkYjbji9USs (English)

10 Mar. 16

Women and Mysticism

Required Readings:

1. Maria Massi Dakake, ―Walking upon the Path of God like Men‖? Women and the

Feminine in the Islamic Mystical Tradition‖ in Jean-Louis Michon and Robert Gaetani

(eds), Sufism: Love and Wisdom (Bloomington, Indiana: World Wisdom, 2006), pp.

131-152.

2. Mignon, Laurent and Aytðrk, İlker . ―Paradoxes of a Cold War Sufi Woman: Samiha

Ayverdi between Islam, Nationalism and Modernity,‖ in New Perspectives on Turkey

49 (2013), pp. 57 – 89.

3. Sells, ―Rabi‗a,‖ pp. 151-170.

4. Cemalnur Sargut (optional)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnqaNhIsSE4

11 Mar. 23

Shi’i Spirituality

1. Syed Husain M. Jafri, ―Twelve Imam Shī‗ism‖ in Nasr, Islamic Spirituality, pp. 160-

178.

2. Karen Ruffle, ―May Fatimah Gather Our Tears: The Mystical and Intercessory Powers

of Fatimah al-Zahra in Indo-Persian, Shi'i Devotional Literature and Performance,‖

Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East 30, no. 3 (2010), pp.

386 – 397.

3. http://www.presstv.com/detail/2014/11/01/384361/millions-of-mourners-flock-to-

karbala-to-mark-ashura/

12 March 30

Sufism in the Contemporary World

Required Readings:

1. Ernst, Introduction, Chapter 8, pp. 199-228.

2. Sabnum Dharamsi and Abdullah Maynard, ―Islamic-Based Interventions,‖ in

Counseling Muslims: Handbook of Mental Health Issues and Interventions, edited by

Sameera Ahmed and Mona M. Amer (New York: Routledge, Taylor and Francis

Group, 2012), pp. 135-160.

3. Karakas, Fahri. ―A Holistic View of Spirituality and Values: The Case of Global Gulen Networks,‖ Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion 5, no. 1 (2008), pp. 56-83.